Background: E-learning is an important adjunct used for teaching clinical skills in medicine dentistry. This study evaluated and compared the effectiveness of e-learning resources as an additional teaching aid to traditional teaching methods in male and female students and based on CGPA scores in a pre-clinical operative skill course.
Methods: A randomized control trial was conducted in the College of Dentistry, Jouf University, to assess the impact of e-learning resources in learning clinical skills in a pre-clinical operative dentistry course. Fifty second-year dental students were randomly divided into two groups, with 25 students each. Group A (control group) was taught using traditional teaching methods, and Group B (intervention group) used e-learning resources along with traditional methods. Both groups were assessed using objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs). Standardized forms prepared by faculty members were used to assess the students. The students also filled in a questionnaire afterwards to provide feedback regarding the e-learning resources.
Results: The difference between both groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Female students performed better in three OSCE stations out of six. Furthermore, the students positively responded to the use of additional resources.
Conclusion: The use of e-learning resources in pre-clinical operative dentistry courses can be a useful adjunct to traditional teaching methods and can result in better learning of dental pre-clinical operative skills.
Keywords: competency-based education; e-learning; operative pre-clinical.